OBRAS is a Portuguese word and means “work in progress”. OBRAS-Residencies is the follow up of Foundation OBRAS, which started in 2002 and will be dissolved in the beginning of 2025. Part of its activities will be continued in OBRAS-residencies.
General aim of OBRAS-residencies is providing space, support and hospitality necessary for effective working on art and science. We look forward hosting you. We hope that you will feel released from ongoing business, family concerns, and consumerism. You may enjoy the full focus on your art work, find paths that lead to unexpected fields, or lead to nowhere but still make sense.
If you are used living in big cities you may experience both the advantages and limitations of the countryside. Advantages are, for instance, that nature starts at your door step. You can take fantastic nature walks and make herbal tea from the plants of our garden. The nights are incredibly silent with a sky full of stardust. The negative side is, that when you have no car, going to supermarket is more time consuming.
We give you space for working and living, we respect your privacy and personal wishes. To make your residency productive is first of all your responsibility.
Generally, there will be some five residents at the same time. We will give you the opportunity to give an artist’s talk or a presentation in an informal atmosphere. About once per week we will have a shared dinner. Once or twice per year we organise an open studio.
In your application you define a project or goal for your residency and summarize your professional achievements. Within three weeks we let you know whether we can invite you. Criteria for acceptation are artistic quality, professionalism and our estimation whether we can meet your expectations.
Arrival and Welcome If you fly to Lisbon, generally most efficient is to rent a car or travel by express bus. There are express busses from Lisbon Sete Rios to Estremoz. Check the time table on www.rede-expressos.pt. You can buy a ticket at Sete Rios or online. On the bus station of Estremoz we can pick you up and go with you to the super market. You can also come from Estremoz to us by taxi or by local bus (www.rodoviaria.pt). The local bus line runs three times a day but not in the weekend. The bus stop is at our gate: its name is Parque the Campismo Alentejo. From there you walk through the gate “Herdade da Marmeleira” over an unpaved path for 400 meter, and there you are.
On the day of arrival, we arrange a meeting to set some practical things: copy your passport, getting two telephone numbers of relatives who we can call in case of emergency, show you the buildings and direct surroundings, explain about the recycling, talk about your project and special needs and wishes and, if not done already, you pay your fee as indicated on your invitation letter.
Apartments and cottages You have your private apartment and if you wish your own studio. Feel free to rearrange the furniture in your apartment, to take paintings off the wall and so on, but put it back in the original state when you are leaving.
Casa Principal has eight apartments. In general, the apartments have a floor surface of 32 m2, divided over living room/ bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom. Apartments 1 and 4 have a double bed, while apartments 3, 5, 7 and 8 have two one-persons beds. Currently, apartment nr 2 is use as the piano room and apartment nr 6 as a studio. All apartments have an inside and outside door and have a private terrace at the outside door. Apartments 7 and 8 have an extension of the terrace.
Casa Vicente has a floor surface of 75 m2, divided over a bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen and studio. It has three outside doors and two terraces.
Casa Miradouro has a floor surface of 75 m2, divided over a living room / studio, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. It has one outside door and three terraces.
The kitchen in all apartments and cottages has basic equipment such as fridge, cooking plate, microwave, coffee machine and water boiler, pots and pans. The tap water is of high quality.
Outside temperature This part of the country has a continental climate with some oceanic influence. From April until June and in September and October the temperature is very mild (20-30 oC). In August the days can be hot (30-40 oC), but the swimming pool is nearby and nights generally remain cool (15-23 oC).
Room temperature The house has very thick stone walls (up to 1 m). Therefore, it remains cool even on the hottest days of the year. On those days it is important to keep the door closed in the hottest hours and to open it in the coolest hours of the night (the door has a mosquito net). There is a ventilator available but no air conditioning. The room temperature is regarded as pleasant by virtually all our guests. Nevertheless, if you cannot cope with the summer heat, better not choose for a residency in August. And if you need an apartment with a temperature that is constantly higher than 20 oC, better choose June, August or September. There is an electrical stone-heater in all apartments. In Casa Vicente is a wood stove and in Casa Miradouro both an electricals heater and a wood stove. When you use the heating (may be in April or October during the night), you pay for what you use (mostly not more than 5€ per day). For the electrical heating you can follow your electricity use on a counter.
WIFI All apartments in Casa Principal are in the reach of two routers for wireless working. The two cottages have no reach: best is buying a devise for working independent of the routers or do your internet in the Casa Principal.
Studios Apart from the apartments we also have some studios for working on visual art or performance. Currently, the studios have electricity but no other facilities. The studios are: (A) big hall: 25 x 9 m, connected to a circular terrace with 15m diameter (B) Studio Branco: 6 x 10 m (C) Studio Rossio: 5 x 9 m (D) Studio K6: a room with sink: 5 x 5 m (ask for restrictions of using the sink) (E) Music room with acoustic piano and some other music instruments: 5 x 6 m (F) Studio Vicente: 5 x 5 m, being part of Casa Vicente There are lots of possibilities to work outside: just in the field or under a pergola (4 x 8 m) or in a patio (7 x 10 m). You can also request our advice.
Laundry In your cupboard you will find an extra set of bed linen and towels. You decide yourself when you feel that it is necessary to do a laundry. Tell us, when you like to do the laundry; you put the laundry in the machine and we push the buttons. Every laundry is 4 €.
Supermarket In Evoramonte (5 km) there is a small supermarket. In Estremoz (13km) there are several supermarkets and on Saturday morning there is a very good farmer’s market. We will go once per week to Estremoz for the supermarket. You can join or give us your shopping list.
Artist Materials Some semi-professional materials (such as paper and semi-professional paints) can be bought in Estremoz. You can also order online. We have good experiences with Ponto das Artes. They are fast, relatively cheap and their products are good. Check www.pontodasartes.comfor ordering or contacting. They speak English. Tel: +351 21 431 4830. Our contact is Sandra Diniz. Avoid sending materials by post, especially from outside the EU. Customs service is terrible, you have to pay import tax, and the process can last more than 4 weeks. The quality of the regional marble is highly valued by sculptors. You can collect it for free around the quarries. Cork is a regional product with artistic potential as well. It is striped from the bark in summer and stored and manufactured in factories in the region. We have a good quality piano, flute, guitar, recorders and cajon, and some other instruments that are more suitable for social occasions.
Cleaning During your residency you keep your apartment clean yourself. At the end of your stay, we expect you to leave your apartment as clean as it was when you arrived. If at departure you prefer not to clean your apartment yourself, you can let us do this on your costs (see rates).
The Pool The pool is on 50 m from the houses and cottages. It has slightly salty water, which is good for your skin. It has a big terrace and a stunning view.
Solving problems, night silence and non-smoking In case of emergency, we are always available to help solve your problems. After 10 pm, please keep noise to a minimum in the main house and on the terraces and restrict noisy activities to the working studios. Or have your meetings at the pool. Smoking inside the buildings is not allowed. In summer, smokers should use caution to prevent fires related to smoking outside.
Medical service and insurance Medical facilities are in Estremoz (First Aid, 24 hrs service) and Évora (University hospital). You must have an international medical insurance and a third-party insurance. The Centre does not accept legal responsibility.
Rates (2025)
The rate for renting an apartment in the Casa Principal is 130 € per week. For a couple this is 200 €.
For Casa Vicente and Casa Miradouro this is respectively 150€ and 160€ € per week. For a couple it is respectively 230€ per week, and 250€ per week.
The rate for renting a studio is 30€ per week and for the piano room it is 50 €.
Laundry is 4€ per each time.
Cleaning at departure: if you prefer not to do it yourself you pay us 30€ for an apartment in Casa Principal and 40 € for Casa Miradouro and Casa Vicente.
You pay for the heating, based on the electricity that you use for it.
The duration of your residency will generally be between one and two months. If you can only stay shorter than four weeks: contact us for possibilities (the rates per day will be a bit higher).
Non-artist guests accompanying residents are welcome but pay a higher rate. Ask the board for rates and availability.
A deposit of 100€ has to be paid for your reservation. You get the deposit back at the end of your stay. If you cancel your reservation four months in advance, we will send the deposit back minus bank transfer costs.
On the day of arrival, you pay the residency fee cash or been paid by bank transfer.
OBRAS accepts direct payment, bank transfers (see below) and Paypal. OBRAS does not have credit card facilities and does not accept cheques. You will get an official invoice for all payments. When transfer costs have to be paid, OBRAS will add these to your invoice.
In Portugal, OBRAS is facilitated by Outeiro Ruivo Soc. Turistica and you pay your fee to them. Bank details for transfer are: Millenium BCP: Outeiro Ruivo Soc. Turistica, Evoramonte IBAN: PT50 0033 0000 4527 6486 78605 BIC/SWIFT: BCOMPTPL
After having read this document, we are confident that you agree with its content. If not: please contact us. Do not hesitate to contact us should have questions or require more details.